In the field of wiring homes and buildings, whether for new construction or for improvements or expansion, substantial development and product improvements have been made. Typically, these improvements are directed to enabling installers to securely and safely mount any desired wiring in any desired location in the most efficient and quickest manner.
In any particular installation or location, various rigid metal conduits are often employed by being interconnected to each other, as well as connected to the primary power supply and a suitable power distributing outlet box, junction box, or other enclosure. In these instances, a plurality of electrical power carrying wires are contained in each rigid metal conduit, with each rigid metal conduit being securely mounted to the housing of the junction box, outlet box, or other appropriate mounted location, with each of the electrical power carrying wires contained therein being secured to various locations and/or connectors.
In this regard, various electrical codes or requirements have been established which are directed to the installation of a grounding conductor between electrical conduits and metal enclosures. In order to comply with these requirements, conduit bushings constructed for being mounted to the terminating end of metal conduits typically incorporate grounding devices or connectors mounted thereto for use in providing the required grounding path. However, in all of these prior art constructions, the grounding connector mounted to the conduit bushing is mounted to the outer peripheral surface of the bushing, radially extending outwardly therefrom.
In many installations, the placement of the grounding connector to the outer peripheral surface of the conduit bushing provides no difficulty or drawback since the grounding wire employed is mounted externally of the conduit and is therefore easily interconnected with the grounding connector for connecting the conduit to the desired grounded location. However, in other installations, the electrical wires contained in the rigid metal conduit incorporate a ground wire which must be connected to the grounding connector which is mounted to the outer peripheral surface of the conduit bushing. In these instances, the construction of conventional grounded conduit bushings provides installers with added difficulty and substantial inconvenience.
Due to the requirements established by the electrical codes, the gauge or thickness of the electrical wires contained in the rigid metal conduits is substantial, requiring substantial force to be applied in order to manipulate the wires contained in the conduit. In particular, in those instances in which the grounding wire is contained within the rigid metal conduit, the installer is required to use substantial force to manipulate the grounding wire from its position within the metal conduit to a position in which the terminating end of the grounding wire is able to be mounted into the grounding connector affixed to the outer peripheral surface of the conduit bushing. As a result, the installer is required to employ substantial effort, while also experiencing a substantial inconvenience.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a conduit bushing for rigid metal conduits which enables grounding wires to be affixed thereto quickly and easily, without requiring excessive manipulation or twisting of the grounding wires.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a conduit bushing having the characteristic features described above which enables grounding wires contained in rigid metal conduits to be quickly and easily securely mounted to a grounding connector in a simple, direct, and efficient manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a conduit bushing having the characteristic features described above which is universally applicable to all rigid metal conduits for enabling grounding wires to be quickly and easily affixed to the desired grounded location without requiring excessive force or manipulation.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.